In a report that warned the UK is facing an acute crisis because of under-investment and soaring infection rates, the Commons Health Select Committee urged the government to direct more resources toward the groups most vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
"It is clear from the evidence we have received that awareness-raising activity and information campaigns are important, but they will not on their own bring about sustained behaviour change," said the report.
The committee said funding earmarked for sexual health promotion over the past decade "has been subsumed into mainstream allocations".
Meanwhile, Marketing has learned that the government is developing a campaign depicting infected genitalia to combat the growing crisis, which has seen cases of STIs such as chlamydia increase.
The campaign is being put together by Delaney Lund Knox Warren, the Department of Health's creative agency on adult sexual health. No launch date has been announced for the initiative.
Last December, the DoH launched its latest attempt to educate people about the risks of casual sex with a £4m campaign based on the idea that sex without a condom is a lottery. Scratchcards were used to show consumers which STI they had 'won'.
The Family Planning Association is taking a similar humorous tack with a poster campaign, created by Feel, which introduces a character called Mr Stiffy.
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